1 O Lord almighty, God of Israel, the soule in anguish, the troubled spirit crieth vnto thee.

2 Heare O Lord, and haue mercy: for thou art mercifull, and haue pitty vpon vs, because we haue sinned before thee.

3 For thou endurest for euer, and we perish vtterly.

4 O Lord almighty, thou God of Israel, heare now the prayers of the dead Israelites, and of their children, which haue sinned before thee, and not hearkened vnto the voice of thee their God: for the which cause these plagues cleaue vnto vs.

5 Remember not the iniquities of our forefathers: but thinke vpon thy power and thy name, now at this time.

6 For thou art the Lord our God, and thee, O Lord, will we praise.

7 And for this cause thou hast put thy feare in our hearts, to the intent that we should call vpon thy name, and praise thee in our captiuity: for we haue called to minde all the iniquity of our forefathers that sinned before thee.

8 Behold, we are yet this day in our captiuity, where thou hast scattered vs, for a reproch and a curse, and to be subiect to payments, according to all the iniquities of our fathers which departed from the Lord our God.

9 Heare, Israel, the commandements of life, giue eare to vnderstand wisedome.

10 How happeneth it, Israel, that thou art in thine enemies land, that thou art waxen old in a strange countrey, that thou art defiled with the dead?

11 That thou art counted with them that goe downe into the graue?

12 Thou hast forsaken the fountaine of wisedome.

13 For if thou hadst walked in the way of God, thou shouldest haue dwelled in peace for euer.

14 Learne where is wisedome, where is strength, where is vnderstanding, that thou mayest know also where is length of daies, and life, where is the light of the eyes and peace.

15 Who hath found out her place? or who hath come into her treasures?

16 Where are the princes of the heathen become, and such as ruled the beasts vpon the earth.

17 They that had their pastime with the foules of the aire, and they that hoorded vp siluer and gold wherein men trust, and made no end of their getting?

18 For they that wrought in siluer, and were so carefull, and whose workes are vnsearchable,

19 They are vanished, and gone downe to the graue, and others are come vp in their steads.

20 Young men haue seene light, and dwelt vpon the earth: but the way of knowledge haue they not knowen,

21 Nor vnderstood the pathes thereof; nor laid hold of it: their children were farre off from that way.

22 It hath not beene heard of in Chanaan: neither hath it beene seene in Theman.

23 The Agarenes that seek wisdome vpon earth, the marchants of Merran, and of Theman, the authors of fables, and searchers out of vnderstanding: none of these haue knowen the way of wisedome, or remember her pathes.

24 O Israel, how great is the house of God? and how large is the place of his possession?

25 Great, and hath none end: high, and vnmeasurable.

26 There were the gyants, famous from the beginning, that were of so great stature, and so expert in warre.

27 Those did not the Lord chuse, neither gaue he the way of knowledge vnto them.

28 But they were destroyed, because they had no wisedome, and perished through their owne foolishnesse.

29 Who hath gone vp into heauen and taken her, and brought her downe from the clouds?

30 Who hath gone ouer the Sea, and found her, & wil bring her for pure gold?

31 No man knoweth her way, nor thinketh of her path.

32 But he that knoweth all things, knoweth her, and hath found her out with his vnderstanding: he that prepared the earth for euermore, hath filled it with fourefooted beasts.

33 He that sendeth forth light, and it goeth: calleth it againe, and it obeyeth him with feare.

34 The starres shined in their watches, and reioyced: when he calleth them, they say, Here we be, and so with cheerefulnesse they shewed light vnto him that made them.

35 This is our God, and there shall none other be accounted of in comparison of him.

36 He hath found out all the way of knowledge, and hath giuen it vnto Iacob his seruant, & to Israel his beloued.

37 Afterward did he shew himselfe vpon earth, and conuersed with men.